Vic and Rich are the proud owners of Little Orchard Alpaca Farm in East Devon. In January 2018, Vic proposed to Rich on Charmouth Beach with ‘Will you marry me?’ written on one side of a little rock and his name on the other.
It made perfect sense to incorporate their love of Alpacas into their wedding day. Their big day, photographed by Jon Harper, began with an elegant hotel ceremony and ended up in a yurt tent with fire pits, marshmallows and a bouncy castle! Read on to see how they did it!
An elegant wedding ceremony
The couple managed to lull their guests into a false sense of security by holding the ceremony at the beautiful Alexandra Hotel, overlooking the beach where they got engaged. The ceremony was sophisticated and romantic, followed by canapes and bubbly.
Vic’s last minute find was a stunning patterned wedding dress by Wendy Makin from the amazing Shade Bridal– we adore the unconventional splash of colour in the dress! It perfectly complimented the mint bridesmaids dresses and ceremony’s coral colour scheme.
A yurt wedding feast
With the couple officially married, the guests were then whisked back to a wedding feast in a yurt tent, surrounded by fields full of alpacas! The colourful décor was fun and bubbly, with pom-pom bunting and hanging globes. This was all put together by Vic and her friend Sar whilst watching Disney films to pass the time away!
Some beautiful personal touches were added too. The place names for immediate family were pebbles, just like Vic’s proposal! Mel Smith Designs made the table place names accomopanied by handcrafted wooden napkin rings made by the grooms dad. The wedding cake, by Caked Away, incorporates Vic and Rich’s furry friends, and looks delicious! There were even alpaca shaped balloons and cupcakes!
Not just any yurt wedding!
Not a single guest will have been bored at this yurt wedding, as there was so much quirky entertainment! Bouncy castles are fun for all ages (who doesn’t love the nostalgia?!) and are sure to create fun memories and great photos! Although I’m sure the arrows will have been kept well away from the bouncy castle, archery was another quirky addition to the entertainment! Activities like this can often bring guests together, as well as giving them a unique experience.
As the sun set, marshmallows were roasted around the fire pit, and everybody celebrated with sparklers. The evening entertainment was provided by Ceilidh band Paddy’s Whiskers, creating a jolly barn dance vibe. Everybody danced the night away, after an unforgettable day.
Celebrating With Alpacas!
Vic and Rich intended to create a relaxed, fun, colourful atmosphere with lots of laughter, good food and drink and for people to just have a great time. It looks to me like they smashed it! They did it all whilst still managing to spend some quality time with their alpaca family members, too! The day had two very distinct parts to it, creating a perfect balance. In the next couple of years, they hope to start advertising Little Orchard Alpacas as a wedding venue.
The team behind this awesome yurt wedding
Ceremony – The Alexandra Hotel, Lyme Regis
Reception – Little Orchard Alpacas, Axminster
Photography and Film – Jon and Sandra Harper Wedding
Photography and Film
Dress – Wendy Makin through Shade Bridal
Cake – Kelly at Caked Away
Hair and Make Up – Debbie Wright Bridal, Honiton
Flowers – Auntie Jackie made the bouquets and Rich’s mum, Anne, did the table flowers.
Catering – Posh Nosh
VW (Mr Bo Jangles) – Quirky Car Hire Devon
Wedding Stationery – Mel Smith Designs
Yurt – Yurts for Life
Tables, Chairs and Blankets – The Prop Factory
Balloons – Jen and Charlie – Bespoke Balloon Design
Ceilidh Band and DJ – Paddy’s Whiskers
Join us on the 11-12 May 2019 at Stanford Hall, Lutterworth, Leicestershire for the most unique wedding showcase in the UK. Dive into our 8 wedding showcase zones, meet our wedding llamas, try out gaming zone, taste the amazing food & drink, and, most importantly, plan for your wedding day.
Over on the blog - more unique wedding ideas
A Beautiful, Surprise NHS Wedding
Not only do we have a gorgeous wedding shoot to share… we have a story! It’s very beautiful and a bit emosh! This NHS wedding was sent into us by Pike Photography, featuring a real couple with a remarkable story. Read on to find out how a group of wedding
Alternative Farm Wedding At Sydenham Barn
Who says a farm wedding has to be pretty and rustic? Not us! Shot at Sydenham Barn by our awesome members Steel & Oak Photography, this alternative farm wedding is BADASS. The elopement-style photoshoot is giving us all the edginess, with a sprinkle of fun for good measure! Keep scrolling
How To Style A Sunflower Themed Wedding
It’s sunflower season and we’re feeling inspired! We love the flower for it’s cheeriness and boldness, so decided to compile a ‘sunflower themed wedding’ inspiration blog! It’s full of bright and joyful ideas and advice. Dive in and feel the sunshine! All photos by directory member Freeformimages How To Smash
Sparkly Mermaid Wedding At The Beach!
This one’s for the water babies! We love a little bit of magic here at Unconventional Wedding. When we were sent this mermaid wedding by Captured by Chrissi, we just had to share it! The seaside elopement vibes, the sparkly pastel decor and the festival face glitter… we are in
How To Rock A Colourful Urban Wedding
We have a big ol’ dose of wedding inspiration for you today! This colourful urban wedding shoot is simply a stunner – it gives me happy feels in my belly. The bright city backdrop, the celestial wedding dress and the FUN the couple is having… Smiley Huseyin Photography has captured
Why Engagement Shoots Are AWESOME
September… where did you come from?! It’s starting to feel slightly Autumnal here in the UK and I’m already starting to mourn the summer sun. So… I thought I would share this awesome colourful engagement shoot by our lovely Unconventionals, The Dignums, to spread some joy! We’ll talk a little